Online Working & How To Reduce Strain On Your Eyes

The quarantine and lockdown times seem to have benefitted the internet and technology companies predominantly. This may be credited to the increase in online toiling cooped up in homes. Even hardworking students and employees seem to have revamped into couch potatoes leisurely working through their tasks. Sure enough, online gadgets like laptops, computers, and even mobile phones have made work from home far easier, although it brings with it a fair share of troubles. A long time of gazing into these devices causes distress to your eyes. Let’s see how eye strain can be reduced…!!

Eye Strain And Us…!!

Sprawling across the sofas tapping away on computers induces immense strain to your eyes, neck, and back regions. It seems with time, our body may shut down completely. These Covid times have specifically tested our patience time and again. Confined in our abodes, we are oftentimes compelled to work online for longer periods. This usually results in eye strain, itching, or dryness of the eyes, headaches, clouding of vision, and physical & psychological exhaustion. More and more people have been prescribed glasses due to myopia, particularly kids of about 5-15 years of age. Studies have acknowledged that approximately 87℅ of the increase has occurred in social media usage.

What more of the employees who tirelessly work without even a proper schedule due to a curse in disguise, “work at home”…!! The work never ends and neither does the strain on your eyes & body. A condition known as CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome) has recently attained popularity among the masses. It is caused by spending too much time before the digital media and its symptoms entail dry eyes, myopia, astigmatism & muscle strain. Since work is essential to sustain ourselves, we shall look for solutions to curb the issue. Numerous methods may be employed to reduce eye strain and other related conditions…

Development of Digital Eye Strain!

Eye strain transpires when staring at digital screens for an exceedingly lengthy while. This urges our gaze to be focused & refocused always. Eyes are programmed such that, when they come into contact with impressions that are in continual motion, they switch their priority and immediately convey diversifying images to the brain. This in turn causes a severe burden on the eye muscles. As an intense focus is mandated, the frequency with which you blink lessens immensely, leading to dryness of eyes and obscured vision.

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is, in fact, another word used to describe digital eye strain. The past 20 years have seen a tremendous upswing in the no. of cases of CVS. In more than 50% of the occurrences, the patients are regular workers on the digital media, hence, the term. Eye strain may not necessarily be caused due to underlying maladies. Other examples comprise extended periods of driving, extreme weariness, or lack of rest. Care for your eyes, since, if your eyes feel distressed, nothing feels right…

Tips To Curtail Eye Strain…!!

Here are a few simple pointers to lessen your eye strain. Ensure that your screen is positioned suitably. Align the top of the computer screen at 15°-20° lower than the eye level & set the screen at a distance of a minimum of 20 inches immediately in front of you. Sufficient lighting should be provided by either tilting the computer screen such that it diminishes glare from windows or using an anti-glare to cut down on the reflected light. Make sure to rectify your stance. Practice ‘ergonomic posture ‘ in which you sit with your feet placed squarely on the ground, shoulders eased out, lower back supported, & arms at 90° in such a way that the lower arms rest on the keyboard in a flat line. This posture ensures that the back, neck, wrist, and eye muscles are not strained.

Frequent blinking of eyes is advised to keep them moist and smooth. Grab systematic breaks of at least 20 seconds after every twenty minutes of gazing at the computer screen. Enable your eyes to refocus, by staring at an object 20 feet away for nearly 20 seconds. Rest for 15 minutes after continuously using the computer for about 2 hours. Increase the font size to improve readability. Try and screen out the omnipresent blue light which is incredibly fierce in computers and laptops. Besides headaches and eye strain, it also engenders insomnia. Blue light glasses or making good use of in-built blue light filters now commonly seen in smartphones are proposed.

Ayurvedic Remedies For Eye Strain?!!

According to Ayurvedic scriptures, innumerable causes are attributed to eye strain and dryness of the eyes. They comprise ushnabhitaptasya (imbalance between hot & cold), doorekshanath (distorted vision due to over-focusing on a single type of eye movement), krodha ( resentment), shoka (misery), bhaya (fear), veganigraha (suppression of natural urges), viruddha ahara (incompatible food) and ratri jagran (staying awake at night). Ayurveda suggests eradicating a disorder at its root. Hence, refraining from the practice of the above-mentioned factors will no doubt bring you good…!! You may make some modifications to your daily life and easily cure your eye strain. To relieve your body of excessive heat, regularly apply oil on your head and massage the scalp – it keeps your head cool. Similarly, relieve your body of excessive cold by wearing scarves or jackets. Avoid drinking cold drinks…

Never suppress your natural urges, be it urinating or defecating or vomiting or any of the adharaneeya vegas, just let it go…! Keep your gaze alternating between sookshma (near) and vidura drishti (far vision) – do not focus on a single point. Bring the aggravated pitta back to equilibrium by the appropriate diet and abhyanga (oil massage); especially pada abhyanga (feet massage) is said to be extremely beneficial to the eyes. Keep cleansing your eyes with cool water to alleviate pitta dosha. Application of anjana (kajal) as a part of dinacharya (daily regimen) safeguards your eyes and keeps them moist.

सौवीरञ्जनं नित्यं हितमक्ष्णोस्ततोभजेत। चक्षुस्तेजोमयं तस्य विशेषात श्लेष्मतो भयम। योजयेत्सप्तरात्रेतस्मात्स्त्रावणार्थ ॥

(अ.हृ.सू. 2/4-5, अ.स.सू. 3/24)

Glasses To Lessen Eye Strain?!!

Specially modeled glasses for those working with computers are presently available in the market. There are a variety of glasses as and when used by a myriad of jobs. Ensure that the glasses you wear are perfect for the task. Take care to stay updated with your optometrist and wear the exact prescription glasses, for example, if you use hypermetropia or long-distance glasses, the computer screen gets blurry.

Occasionally practicing eye exercises also help abate the strain. During your breaks, just relax and lie down in a straight posture, and rest. Napping for a short while is also recommended. This loosens up your tensed muscles and tendons. After all, caution never harms anyone. “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body” – so respect your body well and stay healthy. Lead a stress-free life and face the world head-on…

Enjoy an easy digital experience and be free of your worries…!!